Favorite Pressure Gauge?

TrailBrake

Posted 01-14-2015 11:08 AM

TrailBrake

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What's everyone's favorite pressure gauge? I've been looking at the Longacre Temp compensating http://www.longacrer... Pressure Gauge It's pretty cool because it compensates the temps (I'm not sold on who it does them yet), but also has a memory for the pressures and tire temps (though I do have a memory pyrometer already). I've also been looking at the Intercomp Memory Gauge http://www.intercomp...p-140-l-en.html Seems pretty cool with what it will hold in the memory and the .1 display.

I'm leaning towards a memory gauge so I don't have people forgetting what the pressures were anymore. One of my racing resolutions for 2015 is to be much better about my tire pressures.

TrailBrake

Posted 01-19-2015 09:16 AM

Keith Andrews

Posted 01-19-2015 09:25 AM

Keith Andrews

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Matt, I've used a Longacre pressure gauge for around 10 years. They don't make the same model anymore. It has been very reliable. It uses a 9v battery and has a memory function I rarely use. The rubber ring around the gauge has saved it from many drops and hits.

Caveman-kwebb99

Posted 01-19-2015 10:47 AM

Caveman-kwebb99

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You must fist break the face so that a little shard of glass gets caught and stuck on the needle sometimes but be smart enough to know it just takes a little shake to dislodge it once again then stick it near your car and when Jim wants a tire gauge tell him dont use that one its tricky to use which only bates him into wanting to use it as if a dummy like me can use it he certainly can ... the he comes back and tells you the reason you are not doing well this weekend is your pressure guage is malfuntioning and then smashes into a million pieces before you. I then quoted to him what all my tires were set at with my gauge so he then put his golden gauge to each of my tires only to see that he was really the idiot, I was just a guy with janky gauge well I was probably still an idiot to... One of the racing memories I will hold onto forever!!!! Many other stories in my vault as well...

Mitch Reading

Posted 01-19-2015 01:57 PM

Mitch Reading

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I've been told by some really smart guys that the digital gauges offer much better repeatability than the analog... but to each their own. Don't switch between different gauges would be my advice at the same event.

TrailBrake

Posted 01-19-2015 02:26 PM

TrailBrake

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Location:Manchester, NH

When you get into the accuracy readings of analog vs. digital, the average digital gauge is more accurate than all but the best analog gauges. The best digital are by far the most accurate. I've worked myself into some great paralysis by analysis.

Mark

Posted 01-19-2015 03:27 PM

Gawdaful expensive but it does include a pyrometer and memory functions. I've had a slew of analog gauges over the years from Longacre and Intercomp and they all disagreed when tested. I'm not talking about 1-2 psi difference, more like 4-6 psi difference. This discrepancy makes a real difference when you are trying to use your buddies tire pressures on your car using your gauge to set them. The above gauge is the only one I have found to be consistently accurate when tested on a NIST certified gauge tester. None of this matters if you use your own gauge and set pressures based only on your analysis and not on any third party input.

TrailBrake

Posted 01-19-2015 03:31 PM

TrailBrake

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I'm leaning towards that gauge, but the similar Intercomp looks pretty good too. I'm also debating about a third digital gauge that has a memory and will log the high pressure when you attach it automatically. I'm not sure if I like the auto logging or not.

Gawdaful expensive but it does include a pyrometer and memory functions. I've had a slew of analog gauges over the years from Longacre and Intercomp and they all disagreed when tested. I'm not talking about 1-2 psi difference, more like 4-6 psi difference. This discrepancy makes a real difference when you are trying to use your buddies tire pressures on your car using your gauge to set them. The above gauge is the only one I have found to be consistently accurate when tested on a NIST certified gauge tester. None of this matters if you use your own gauge and set pressures based only on your analysis and not on any third party input.

Steve Scheifler

Posted 01-20-2015 12:12 AM

Steve Scheifler

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I am absolutely confident that I get more consistent and higher resolution readings with the better digital gauges than I ever have from the analogs. I make the one on the fill handle my primary/reference unit then clearly mark a separate digitial gauge and a backup analog unit with their "calibration" value relative to the reference, and check them periodically. Having at least three gives me flexibility, fail-safe and ensures that I can identify which one is failing if it starts to drift.

I am very skeptical of the temperature compensated gauges because I doubt that the temperature of the rubber 3mm below the surface is necessarily representative of the air temp inside. Has anyone monitored actual internal air temp and compared it to external probe-type pyrometer readings?

Mark

Posted 01-20-2015 01:57 AM

Mark

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Steve,

I can't comment on the accuracy of the compensated temp mode as I've never used the gauge in compensated mode. My understanding is that the compensation is based on ambient air temp and not tire carcass temps. The pyrometer function is nice though and does come in handy.

I am absolutely confident that I get more consistent and higher resolution readings with the better digital gauges than I ever have from the analogs. I make the one on the fill handle my primary/reference unit then clearly mark a separate digitial gauge and a backup analog unit with their "calibration" value relative to the reference, and check them periodically. Having at least three gives me flexibility, fail-safe and ensures that I can identify which one is failing if it starts to drift.

I am very skeptical of the temperature compensated gauges because I doubt that the temperature of the rubber 3mm below the surface is necessarily representative of the air temp inside. Has anyone monitored actual internal air temp and compared it to external probe-type pyrometer readings?

Steve Scheifler

Posted 01-20-2015 02:12 AM

Steve Scheifler

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Ah, that could be, perhaps the combination model was misleading, but against ambient seems only marginally more useful unless you have to turn fast laps the first time out and no option for a quick pit stop for pressures. I generally set all tires, on and off the car, to a baseline in the shop before we load. That way I can spot leakers and don't have to figure out the impact of a cold morning or hot day on "cold" pressures.

TrailBrake

Posted 01-28-2015 03:57 PM

TrailBrake

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I'm sure people were dying to know what I ended up with. I bought the Longacre compensating gauge from my first post. It's accurate and reads to .1 pounds, has a memory, and functions as a pyrometer too. Plus, they had a blemished unit that was $100 off.

I don't plan on using the compensating function. Instead, I've built a model to help predict pressure gains. I'm working on a couple of other things to narrow the variables down and we'll see if they work well. What I should really be doing is working harder instead of researching gauges, and save the money for a TPMS.

HoneyBadger - BrianW

Posted 01-29-2015 09:23 AM

HoneyBadger - BrianW

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I'm sure people were dying to know what I ended up with. I bought the Longacre compensating gauge from my first post. It's accurate and reads to .1 pounds, has a memory, and functions as a pyrometer too. Plus, they had a blemished unit that was $100 off.

I don't plan on using the compensating function. Instead, I've built a model to help predict pressure gains. I'm working on a couple of other things to narrow the variables down and we'll see if they work well. What I should really be doing is working harder instead of researching gauges, and save the money for a TPMS.

Just as a data point. I have the Longacre gauge and DO use the compensating gauge. I have had good luck with it, generally speaking. So much so, I frequently am in charge of pressures for our race team.

James York

Posted 01-29-2015 09:55 AM

James York

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Just as a data point. I have the Longacre gauge and DO use the compensating gauge. I have had good luck with it, generally speaking. So much so, I frequently am in charge of pressures for our race team.

Brian W

And here i just thought you were just the transmission changing bitch... my you are versatile.